Fun for families, awesome for adventurers

Chattanooga is the Starting Point to Tennessee. We are nestled along the banks of the Tennessee River in a valley surrounded by breathtaking scenic beauty. Chattanooga is very accessible from the new Atlanta International Airport Terminal (ATL) only 2 hours away by car or 20 minutes via a quick connecting flight (CHA). This friendly southern city is clean, affordable, and very walkable with plenty of unique things to do.

For over 20 years Chattanooga has been a leader in the Green Eco Movement with a free electric shuttle, free electric car charging stations and even preferred parking for low emission cars. You can enjoy the revitalized riverfront district; walk along the 13-mile (20.8km) paved RiverWalk scattered with city parks and restaurants, or navigate on a bicycle from our Bike Share System that is available for less than $10 U.S./24-hours.

The centerpiece of downtown is the world’s largest freshwater aquarium - the Tennessee Aquarium. Because of the river – water sports and attractions are just a few steps away. You can take a dinner cruise aboard the Southern Belle Riverboat or experience a 55mph high speed catamaran on the River Gorge Explorer; or grab a stand-up paddleboard or kayak and see the river up close.

Chattanooga’s history dates back to the Native American removal in the 1830’s to the railroad and train history of the 1850’s. The river and our trains were important factors during the 1860’s American Civil War. Our famous 1909 Chattanooga Choo Choo Terminal Station is a hotel complex and it became famous with the 1940’s song, the Chattanooga Choo Choo; still relevant today that song became the first Gold Record in the world – selling over 1 million copies. You can still ride a real steam train on the Tennessee Valley Railroad with options for a 1-hour or 3-hour trip.

Only 6 miles (9.8km) from the river, you’ll find historic Lookout Mountain and the natural attractions of Rock City Gardens with its view of 7 states and Ruby Falls with its underground waterfall. Then, ride up the side of Lookout Mountain on the Incline Railway, the steepest incline in the world. At the top visit the NPS visitor’s center, civil war museum and a unit of the largest and oldest military park in America - the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park and enjoy a marvelous view.

Chattanooga is blessed with many outdoor adventures. Go rock climbing indoors or out at the new High Point Climbing Center or check out the mountainous terrain on foot or by bike, or try a more extreme sport like hang-gliding off of Lookout Mountain or spend half a day whitewater rafting on the 1996 Olympic river – the Ocoee just 45 minutes away.

In the evenings, there are a variety of restaurants & entertainment venues that provide live music like Track 29, FREE Friday Night Concerts May – September, or the singing waiters at the Station House Restaurant. If you love an outdoor music festival don’t miss the unbelievably inexpensive (less than $50 U.S./person for all 9-Nights) annual Riverbend Music Festival June 5-13, 2015.

Chattanooga’s public art decorates the streets, sidewalks and RiverWalk. Enjoy all the art outdoors or venture inside to see the South’s largest collection of American art at the Hunter Museum of American Art just next door to downtown.

There is always something fun happening in Chattanooga. Come see us today and experience this place that we call home – Chattanooga Tennessee~ the Scenic Center of the South!